Spinal brace having overlapping rigid members
A spinal orthosis including a posterior support having a substantially rigid posterior splint, an anterior support having a substantially rigid anterior splint, and a pair of overlapping supports having substantially rigid splints are releasably attachable to the posterior support. The rigid splints of the overlapping supports overlap a portion of the posterior splint and the anterior splint when the orthosis is installed on a user.
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This is a continuation-in-part of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/437,853, filed Jan. 3, 2003, and entitled “Spinal Brace Having Overlapping Rigid Members.”
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to medical orthoses. More particularly, this invention relates to spinal braces having flexible materials incorporating rigid supports.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONImprovement is desired in the field of spinal braces and, in particular, spinal braces of the type having flexible materials incorporating rigid supports.
In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to an improved spinal orthosis. The orthosis includes a posterior support having a substantially rigid posterior splint, an anterior support having a substantially rigid anterior splint, and a pair of overlapping supports having substantially rigid splints are releasably attachable to the posterior support. The rigid splints of the overlapping supports overlap a portion of the posterior splint and the anterior splint when the orthosis is installed on a user.
In a preferred embodiment, the overlap supports are each provided by a laminate made of a flexible foam material, a rigid plastic strip, and a rigid plastic sheet material sandwiched between a pair of soft flexible sheet materials to yield a substantially rigid laminate material shaped to substantially conform to a side portion of a patient.
In another embodiment, the overlapping supports are each provided by a flexible body defining a pocket and a substantially rigid, preferably polymeric, shell received within the pocket and configured to substantially conform to a side portion of a patient.
In yet another aspect, the overlapping supports are each provided by a flexible body having an internal stay of a substantially rigid material, the stay being generally conformable during installation of the orthosis on a user so as to be able to substantially conform to the shape of the user. The internal stay is preferably made of a sheet of polyethylene material having a base portion and a bifurcated portion defining a plurality of fingers.
Further features of preferred embodiments of the invention will become apparent by reference to the detailed description of preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the figures, which are not to scale, wherein like reference numbers, indicate like elements through the several views, and wherein,
With initial reference to
It will be understood that the brace 10 may be otherwise configured for providing an orthosis suitable for treating other portions of the spine, such as the cervical portions. The brace 10 may also be configured to impart a particular orientation, such as a flexion, extension, or a neutral orientation to the spine.
With reference to
A plurality of strips 32 of hook material extend from opposite side edges 34 and 36 of the body 24, adjacent to inner surface 38 of the body 24. The side edges 34 and 36 are preferably adjacent the periphery 39 of the splint 28 when it is installed within the body 24. The body 24 also preferably includes opposite side extensions 40 and 42 which extend from the side edges 34 and 36. The extensions 40 and 42 are preferably made of the same material as the body 24 and include internal rigid stays 43 (
A plurality of slits 44 are preferably formed at the junctures between the side extensions 40 and 42 and their respective side edges 34 and 36 adjacent each of the strips 32. The strips 32 are preferably used to secure the overlap supports 20 and 22. However, in an optional configuration wherein one or more of the supports 20 or 22 are not used, the slits 44 permit the strips 32 to be positioned therethrough so as to extend around the exterior of the side extensions 40 and 42 and engage the anterior support 18.
The strap assemblies 14 and 16 may preferably correspond to the set of connection straps 300 or the lacings 820 and related assembly described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,759, issued Nov. 12, 2002, and entitled THORACO-LUMBRO-SACRAL ORTHOSIS, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The strap assemblies 14 and 16 may also preferably correspond to the latching assemblies 27 and 28 described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,998, issued Oct. 19, 1999, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,378, both entitled LUMBRO-SACRAL ORTHOSIS and incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
In this regard, and with reference to
With reference to
With reference to
The supports 20 and 22 are preferably installed on the posterior support 12 with posterior edges 84 and 86 (
The supports 20 and 22 are each preferably of lightweight laminate construction. In this regard, and with reference to
As previously noted, and with reference to
With reference now to
The posterior support 120 is substantially identical to the posterior support 12 and preferably made of the same materials, except that it does not include the strips 32 and the slits 44. In this regard, the posterior support 120 preferably includes a foam body 126 having inner surface 128 and outer surface 130, and including a pocket 132 for receiving a rigid splint 134. Side extensions 136 and 138 preferably extend from the body 126 in the manner of the extensions 40 and 42 described above. The strap assemblies 14 and 16 attach to the posterior support 120 and the anterior support 18 in the same manner as described previously.
The overlap support 122 includes a foam body 140 having an inner surface 142 and an outer surface 144. A pocket 146 is defined adjacent the outer surface 144 and configured for receiving a rigid shell 148. A pair of strips 150 of hook material extend from a rear edge 152 of the pocket 146 for attachment of the body 140 to loop material of the outer surface 130 of the posterior support 120. The overlap support 124 is preferably substantially identical to the support 122, except it is configured for use on the opposite side.
The shells 148 for use in the supports 122 and 124 are preferably molded of a polymeric material and curved or otherwise anatomically shaped to conform to the general curves of a patient's sides The overlap supports 122 and 124 may be heated if desired, as by a heat gun, to soften them so that they may be custom fit to the patient. In configuring or custom-fitting the overlap supports 122 and 124, it is desired that the supports be shaped so as to wrap around the iliac crests of the patient and over the anterior superior iliac spines of the patient.
The shells 148 are further configured so that a portion of each shell 148 overlaps at least a portion of the rigid splint 134 of the posterior support 120 and at least a portion of the rigid splint 106 of the anterior support 18 when the overlap supports 122 and 124 are assembled with the posterior and anterior supports 120 and 18, respectively, to provide a brace.
In this regard, and with particular reference to
With reference now to
The posterior support 170 is preferably substantially identical to the posterior support 120 and includes a foam body 176 having inner surface 178 and outer surface 180 of a loop material, a pocket 182 for receiving a rigid splint 184, and side extensions 186 and 188 extending from the body 176.
The overlaps supports 172 and 174 may be identical to one another and each preferably includes a foam body 190 having an internal stay 192. The stay 192 is preferably a thin piece of polyethylene bifurcated into a pair of fingers 194 and 196 extending from a base 198 to enable the stay 192 to better conform to the side of the user when a brace incorporating the supports 172 and 174 is worn by a user. As will be noted, the stay 192 is substantially rigid, yet is generally conformable to the shape of the user. It will be understood that the stay 192 may be rigid and preferably curved to conform generally to the shape of the user. A strip of hook material 200 is preferably attached to edge 202 of the body 190 for enabling releasable attachment the body 190 to the loop material of the surface 180 of the posterior support 170, such as seen in
The overlap supports 172 and 174 are preferably installed on the posterior support 170 such that at least a portion of the base 198 of the stay 192 of each of the overlap supports 172 and 174 overlaps at least a portion of the splint 184 within the posterior support 170 (
As noted in each of the foregoing embodiments, the overlap supports, e.g., the overlap supports 20 and 22, 122 and 124, 172 and 174, may be positioned so as to wrap around the iliac crests of the patient and over the anterior superior iliac spines of the patient. This is advantageous to prevent rotation. As will be appreciated, the anterior and posterior supports, such as the supports 12 and 18, and 120, serve to sandwich the pelvis of the user. This combination of the overlap supports preventing pelvic rotation and the anterior and posterior supports sandwiching the pelvis, has been observed to advantageously control pelvic tilt while maintaining the desired amount of flexion or extension of the spine. For the purpose of illustration,
The foregoing description of certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for purposes of illustration only, and it is understood that numerous modifications or alterations may be made in and to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
Claims
1. A spinal orthosis for treating a spine, comprising:
- a posterior support having a substantially rigid posterior splint;
- an anterior support having a substantially rigid anterior splint;
- first and second overlapping supports releasably attachable to the posterior support, each overlapping support being a laminate made of a plurality of layers bonded together and comprising a layer of a flexible foam material, a layer of a rigid plastic strip, and a layer of a rigid plastic sheet material sandwiched between a pair of soft flexible sheet materials and molded together to yield a unitary and substantially rigid laminate material shaped to substantially conform to a side portion of a patient, wherein the first overlapping support is positionable relative to the posterior and the anterior supports when the orthosis is installed on a user so that a portion of the first overlapping support overlaps at least a portion of the posterior splint and the anterior splint, and the second overlapping support is positionable relative to the posterior and the anterior supports when the orthosis is installed on a user so that a portion of the second overlapping support overlaps at least a portion of the posterior splint and at least a portion of the anterior splint; and
- one or more straps attachable to the posterior support and the anterior support for securing the spinal orthosis on a patient.
2. The orthosis of claim 1, wherein the posterior support comprises a flexible material defining a pocket for receiving the posterior splint, with the flexible material including a plurality of strips of a hook material for releasably engaging loop material associated with the first and second overlapping supports for releasably attaching the first and second overlapping supports to the posterior support.
3. The orthosis of claim 1, wherein the anterior support comprises a flexible material defining a pocket for receiving the anterior splint.
4. The orthosis of claim 1, wherein the first and second overlapping supports are configured to be positionable to wrap around iliac crests portions and over anterior superior iliac spine portions of a patient.
5. The orthosis of claim 4, wherein the anterior and posterior supports are positionable to sandwich a pelvis portion of the patient, such that the orthosis inhibits tilting of the pelvis while maintaining a desired amount of flexion or extension of the spine.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Dec 17, 2003
Date of Patent: Apr 11, 2006
Patent Publication Number: 20040133138
Assignee: DeRoyal Industries, Inc. (Powell, TN)
Inventor: Michael D. Modglin (Braselton, GA)
Primary Examiner: Henry Bennett
Assistant Examiner: Shumaya B Ali
Attorney: Luedeka, Neely & Graham P.C.
Application Number: 10/738,796
International Classification: A61F 5/00 (20060101);